In the construction industry, erection and installation of lightweight concrete wall panel is labor extensive, require physical strength of workers and involves high risk of injuries resulted from manual installation by the workers. Moreover, manual installation provides only 16 m2/manday which are less productive and involves high cost of installation. Rough handling and stress lifting of the concrete wall panel may damage the concrete wall panel as the workers are required to use physical strength to lift the concrete wall panel. Further, injury risk exposure is increased due to the condition of the workers being fatigue during the installation operation.
Currently, the existing lifting device being utilize for the installation of wall panel which is known as “Flat Bed Frame Wall Panel Lifting Machine” has several drawbacks. The existing machine is limited for only handling certain load capacity and height of wall panel. Under certain circumstances, the machine requires more manpower to flip and lay the wall panel on the lifting frame. The machine is also unable of installing wall panel above kerbs and provides low towing handle that may cause obstruction and difficulty to operate in tight working space.
Another example of panel transport and erection machine for a panel such as a wall panel, a magnetic coil panel and the like which are erected along a track in the track for a linear motor car, an elevated tire running vehicle and the like is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. JP 3202260 B2 (JP 260 B2 Patent) entitled “Panel Transport and Erection Machine” having a filing date of 6 Jun. 1991 (Applicants: Tokai Ryokaku Tetsudo KK; Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd; Central Japan Railway Co,; Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd). In the JP 260 B2 Patent, the erection machine comprises a panel to be erected along a track which is mounted on a mobile trolley that is capable of mounting the panel. Further, in the JP 260 B2 Patent, the panel is lifted over to a specified position on the said track and the erection machine is further made up of a lifting beam which includes paired clamps which are detachably combined with a lifting lug section for the panel mounted on the mobile trolley. The JP 260 B2 Patent further disclose paired turning lift arms which rotatably support both end sections of the lifting beam located close to both ends of a trolley frame. A working space is needed for lifting out and erecting the panel as to make it compact in the invention disclosed in the JP 206 B2 Patent.
A further example for a lifting operation platform is disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 102910555 A (CN 555 A Publication) entitled “Micro Travel Lifting Operation Platform” having a filing date of 9 Oct. 2012 (Applicant: Hubei Guorui Intelligent Equipment Co. Ltd). The CN 555 A Publication provides a micro travel lifting operation platform which comprises a base, an operation platform, an electric system and a lifting system. The lifting system supports the operation platform and comprises a cylinder with a lock, a guide mechanism and a plurality of groups of chain wheel lifting mechanisms driven by the cylinder. The chain wheel lifting mechanisms as disclosed in the CN 555 A Publication are electrically connected with one another through the electric system and matched with one another to be operated. The micro travel lifting operation platform provides that the internal force of the systems is only the dead weight of the operation platform and personnel. The operation platform proposed in the CN 555 A Publication also provides with a lifting in place detection switch to detect if the operation platform is lifted in place and the stability of the operation platform as well as the safety of operating personnel are guaranteed through a pneumatic mechanical self-locking cylinder.
Another mechanism that provides the loading and unloading platform is disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 105712105 A (CN 105 A Publication) entitled “Internal Folding Type Loading and Unloading Platform” having a filing date of 14 Apr. 2016 (Applicant: Shanghai Bdh Logistic Facilities & Eng Co Ltd). The CN 105 A Publication proposed an internal folding type loading and unloading platform used for a cold-chain logistics warehouse or an iso-temperature warehouse. The internal folding type loading and unloading platform disclosed in the CN 105 A Publication can be disposed inside the cold-chain logistics warehouse or the iso-temperature warehouse. The internal folding type loading and unloading platform disclosed in the CN 105 A Publication is disposed on a mounting frame in a reserved foundation pit which is downward from a floor level and close to a doorway of the warehouse in the warehouse. The internal folding type loading and unloading platform comprises a main face plate, a butt strap, a platform surface assembly oil cylinder, a butt strap oil cylinder, a hydraulic power unit and an electrically operated control box. The main face plate and the butt strap are arranged approximately in parallel. The electrically operated control box sends an instruction to the hydraulic power unit so as to control the platform surface assembly oil cylinder and the butt strap oil cylinder to operate, and a loading and unloading platform surface is switched between an internally folded state and an extending state to adjust the lifting amplitude of the main face plate and the butt strap.
A further example which introduces lifting loading platform is disclosed in International Patent Publication No. WO 2010/031511 A1 (WO 2010/031511 A1 Publication) entitled “Lifting Loading Platform” having a filing date of 8 Sep. 2009 (Applicant: MBB Palfinger Gmbh). The WO 2010/031511 A1 Publication disclosed lifting loading platforms for trucks having a loading platform that can be lifted and lowered and pivoted by means of a lifting unit. The lifting unit of WO 2010/031511 A1 Publication comprises a hydraulic cylinder for the lifting and lowering and for the pivoting of the lifting loading platform whereby the operation of the hydraulic cylinder requires a hydraulic unit and relatively large hydraulic lines. The invention in the WO 2010/031511 A1 Publication further provides a lifting loading platform, whereby the loading platform is lifted, lowered, and pivoted by means of electric linear drives. The linear drives are equipped in a particular manner with a plurality of rod-shaped electric motors mutually driving a toothed gear. A spindle nut can be rotated on a threaded spindle by the toothed gear. In this manner the threaded spindle can be axially displaced in the manner of piston rods of hydraulic cylinders. Due to the electrically operated linear drives the lifting loading platform according to the invention requires no hydraulic unit, and therefore also no hydraulic lines.
Therefore, there is a need to build a machine with special features for lifting a concrete wall panel which enhances productivity and efficiency, safe and minimizes installation cost.